So I was trying to figure out what to ask for for Christmas and I could use a new monitor. Right now I have a 17" Dell LCD I got years ago. I was thinking something that was say 23" and wide screen. 1920x1080 or 2048x1152 would be good. I don't think that TN vs IPS is going to be a big deal for me.

On the Egg I saw the following monitor and it seemed like a good price SAMSUNG 2343BWX. Does anyone have any comments on Samsung monitors and their quality? Anyone have any other recommendations?

Check out the LCD Thread over on AnandTech. It's worth reading through the 1st [extremely long] post of the thread for all the information collected there and the next two for all the very good recommendations. Then skip to the last 20-25 pages for a current discussion of what's available.

My suggestion: you buy a monitor for the long haul. A good one will last at least a couple or three system generations. And don't scrimp for your eyes' sake, either.

My money was spent where my mouth is -- I have had a pair of the LP2475W monitors since February and bought one of the U2410 monitors last week. Both are extremely good; however, the Dell, when properly calibrated, is the better of the two by a just barely visible margin.

tfp wrote:I don't think that TN vs IPS is going to be a big deal for me.

Nobody does until they sit in front of both.

I'm pretty sure I've been in front of an IPS before (or at least the large Dell ones) and I've got to tell you -- not a big deal. If that's how they were 3 years ago, definitely. But TN viewing angles have gotten a lot better; I'm in front of a 23.6" TN monster that I got for ~$190 and the only time I have issues is in very, very black scenes of movies. And then I wish I had an IPS, but that's not very common and I'd way rather get another two monitors like this for less than the cost of a decent-sized IPS.

My Samsung 206BW TN panel looks great and I've been real happy with it.All the S/H-IPS fanboys here have convinced me of the goodness of 8 bit 16:10 format with 1920x1200 resolution however so I'm gonna give it a shot.They better be right

Last edited by Fighterpilot on Sat Nov 14, 2009 2:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

If you're doing nothing but gaming or office work, it probably doesn't matter; however, if you are doing anything that requires high color accuracy, an IPS panel is the only way to go. Some of the better MVA/PVA panels are quite good, but not as good. And TN has improved tremendously over the years; however, it still brings up the rear. TN's greatest asset is its speed: great for gaming.

edh wrote:If you're doing nothing but gaming or office work, it probably doesn't matter; however, if you are doing anything that requires high color accuracy, an IPS panel is the only way to go. Some of the better MVA/PVA panels are quite good, but not as good. And TN has improved tremendously over the years; however, it still brings up the rear. TN's greatest asset is its speed: great for gaming.

Not even that. You don't have to be a pro graphics artist to like a PVA or IPS panel. Watching TV or movies the difference is obvious too. It's especially worth it if you spend a lot of time in front of your monitor.

The Dell U2410 H-IPS LCD monitor has just been posted at $100 off (20%) making its price just US$499 (+ applicable sales tax for your location). A quick Dell coupons search should net you free shipping. It's a great deal on a great monitor !!!

tfp wrote:On the Egg I saw the following monitor and it seemed like a good price SAMSUNG 2343BWX. Does anyone have any comments on Samsung monitors and their quality? Anyone have any other recommendations?

I have two of those monitors for my main PC and love them, I originally chose them because I was given a similar model from Samsung as a second monitor at work(20") which i really liked and I haven't had any problems with any of the monitors.

It has a "hard" anti-glare coating as opposed the the "soft" anti-glare coating of the HP LP2475W and the "glossy" NEC MultiSync 20WMGX2, my other monitors. Of the three treatments, I actually like the NEC the least (and it is/was a great monitor for the money). The coating on the HP is probably the best; however, I do not find the coating on the Dell to be objectionable. It is not nearly as dense as the coating on the 19" 4:3 Dell that my sister is using (don't remember the model - was new about 4-1/2 years ago).

I use these monitors to edit images using Bibble, Nikon NX and PhotoShop. Of the three, and compared to the $2500 Eizo a friend of mine has, I'd give the Dell 9 points out of 10, the HP a 9-minus and the NEC an 8. The HP and the Dell are really neck and neck. As versatile as the HP is, the Dell is more so. And -- I'm guessing because of its newer 12-bit panel -- an improved version of the same LG panel used in the HP -- the Dell's color calibration is nearly flawless (my calibration using an i1-display 2 sensor and the GretagMacbeth software - not that from the factory, which was simply awful).

I'll say this- I've wanted a non-TN panel for a while now, and am happy with what I've heard about the U2410's gaming performance, however, I also just checked out an Apple 24" Cinema Display and even looking really hard, I couldn't see why it was so much better. It was better, a little better, but if you sit directly in front of your monitor and don't need perfect colors, the price is largely unjustifiable. For $309 shipped, this 28" monitor is the best rated screen on the 'Egg. Sitting on my desk, I'd have to say I'd rather have this than even a 'really nice' IPS screen that's over $200 more, when it's on sale. For gaming, watching movies or TV shows, and browsing, I don't think anything else anywhere near it's price can compare.